~Four Years Later~
Four years had passed and despite Rumpelstiltskin's best efforts he had been unable to locate his daughter anywhere. He began searching orphanages and foster homes for a child that fit his daughter description but alas no sign of her could be found and all the usual methods of finding someone had come up empty. If it wasn't for Henry's storybook showing the prophecy as clear as it always been he might have given up hope.
However, Rumpelstiltskin had no way of knowing that on the very outskirts of town in a rustic old house that to the outside looked empty and void of anyone living there, his daughter had grown up under the watchful eye of Blue.
At four years old, Rosalinda was as beautiful as anyone could have imagined a fairy tale princess looking. She had soft porcelain skin that was a creamy white colour with just a small hint of colour indicating that she had spent most of her life away from direct sunlight and her hair now reached the middle of her back and was a soft brown color with natural blonde highlights making her hair look almost golden when the few rays of sunlight would hit it just right. However, it was her eyes that made her stand out because they were a deep shade of brown almost the colour of chocolate but they seemed to sparkle and shine with golden flakes in them that made them appear almost breath taking.
Rosalinda sat in her room staring out at the falling leaves as they began to cover the ground of the front yard wondering what it would be like to be able to play outside in the leaves like she had seen people do in the novels that she had been given over the years and turned to look at her bedroom door which was closed.
Rosalinda sighed as she picked up another picture book and began to flip through the pages of the book, while every once and a while glancing over at the outside world, something she had always dreams of but recalled the warning of the woman she had only ever known as her godmother.
"I'm sorry dear," stated her godmother voice in her head. "But you're still too young to be outside, maybe when you are a little older. I don't want to see you get hurt sweetie."
However, Rosalinda couldn't stop wishing that just for once she could go outside. What could possibly happen? Rosalinda glanced over at the closed door before placing the book she had been reading onto the bed and made her way over to the door, even though she knew that it would be locked, like it always was, she still felt like she should try. Rosalinda placed her hand onto the doorknob not realizing that her hand had glowed a soft rainbow of colours before turning the doorknob and smiled when the door open with a soft click.
Rosalinda smile grew wide and she ran down the stairs and to the front door which looked looming and forbidden looking but she had come so far, she had to keep going. Once again her hand glow the same rainbow of colours and she turned the door and stared at the outside world she had dreamed of for so many years. She stood there just watching as the leaves fall from the trees around the house, just staring at them before she carefully stepped outside. Her simple slippers being the only real protection she had against the ground that was just starting to become cold and hard. The wind blew against her blowing her hair and making her shiver a little in her simple sweater she had before she walked over to the middle of the front yard and stood there.
Rosalinda breathed in the crisp autumn air that seemed so clean and cool. She closed her eyes wishing she had a way to make a pile of leaves so she could jump in them, not seeing the same glow her hands had before happen again and when she opened her eyes, she saw that every leaf in the yard had collected into a pile. Not understanding what had happen but at the same time not caring she ran over to the pile and jumped in over and over again.
Soon Rosalinda cheeks were flushed from a combination of the cold air and the sheer fun she was having that she laid in the leaves breathing in and out as she laughed and smiled for what seemed like the first time. Then suddenly she felt this strange feeling come over her that felt so familiar but yet at the same time so different than anything she had ever felt before.
Very carefully she sat up and glanced around at first not seeing anything out of the ordinary but then as her eyes landed onto where she could faintly see the driveway meet the road stood a horse.
The horse was pure black and seemed to shine as the sun reflected off the black fur. Rosalinda stared at the black horse that seemed to tower over everything and took in everything about it from the thick black mane and tail that blew gently in the wind, to the fur that covered the bottom of his feet, hiding his hoofs from sight.
Rosalinda carefully stood up and began to make her way over to the horse, its eyes never left her form as she walked over to it. Rosalinda couldn't explain it but she felted like she had to touch the horse and that it was different from a normal horse. She stopped just inches from the horse and watched as the horse lean forward ever so slightly and seemed to bow low to her, before standing like it was before, only this time its head was slightly lower than it had been before.
Rosalinda raised her hand and just as she was about to reach out and touch the horse's forehead her hand touched the barrier that had been placed up around the house and she was sent flying backwards landing by some miracle into the pile of leaves, but was knocked unconscious from the forced of the magic.
The horse reared up in alarm and took off just as Blue made her way into the yard and over to Rosalinda, her face looking angrier than anyone had ever seen her look. Blue scanned the yard looking for any signs that someone might have seen Rosalinda, before smiling as she picked the girl up and carried her into her room where she placed her onto her bed.
Blue quickly checked the wards around both Rosalinda's room and the front door thinking perhaps she hadn't secured them when she had left to attend another one of those boring town meetings that Regina insisted of, but to her surprise they were intact but someone had managed to break them and when she followed the trail of magic, her eyes landed onto Rosalinda sleeping form.
Blue was shocked because while she had expected Rosalinda to have magic and knew it would be powerful, she had assumed she wouldn't have to worry about her knowing how to access it for some time. Blue was only glad that it was clear Rosalinda didn't seemed to know what she was doing, otherwise she might have escape and then all these years of planning and deceiving everyone would be for nothing.
Blue stood there trying to decide what to do, when she thought of the cuff and how it made it impossible for the wearer to call on their magic and with a small wave of her hand, she made it appear on Rosalinda shrinking it just enough so it wouldn't come off and then she sat at the desk that was in the room waiting for Rosalinda to wake up.
~1 Hour Later~
Rosalinda eyes began to flutter slowing signs of her waking up and Blue placed the book she had been flipping through onto the desk and waited as Rosalinda woke up and her eyes took in her surrounding before she noticed the cuff and made a cry of protest as she tried to remove it, only to find it wouldn't budge.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, but you won't be able to remove it on your own," stated Blue her voice scaring Rosalinda who looked over at her.
"Godmother?" asked Rosalinda her voice full of sadness.
"You've been a very bad girl Rosalinda," stated Blue. "Leaving your room and then going outside without my permission. What have I said about leaving your room?"
"That good girls stay in their rooms," stated Rosalinda who had tears streaming down her face as she tried in vain to remove the cuff, not liking how it seemed to be cutting a part of herself off from her.
"That's right," stated Blue as she rose from the chair. "Well at least now I don't have to worry about you breaking the rules anymore."
"God mommy…." Cried Rosalinda hating how the cuff made her feel sick. "I'm sorry. I promise to be a good girl…"
"Sorry sweetie but I can't trust you not to break the rules so the cuff stays on."
"NOOOO!" yelled Rosalinda crying full tears now. "PLEASE! I"LL BE GOOD."
Blue sighed before saying she was sorry one more time and walked out of the room, secure it once more with her magic and made her way downstairs. She hated seeing the girl cry but it was for her own safety. She needed to be kept away from the darkness.
Little did Blue know but the horse that Rosalinda had seen had taken off and was now on the outskirts of the town where he began to glow a similar rainbow of colours and he changed from a horse to a young man with long black hair. He was dressed in a simple pair of black pants and short sleeve shirt that appear worn out and unkempt and he had a simple pair of brown leather shoes on his feet.
The man made his way into the town ignoring people as they went about his business, until he was standing just outside the door to the pawn shop where he saw Rumpelstiltskin standing at the cash looking over different books on magic. He rested his hand on the door, pausing just for a minute to consider what he was about to do, before turning the knob and stepped into the shop as the bell above the door rang to indicate his entrance.
Rumpelstiltskin looked up from his work, half expecting Henry who had taken to trying to help him find his daughter but not even his powers as an author seemed to work in trying to locate her. Henry had even broken his vow one more time and wrote using the quill to make her appear, only to have the words fade just as he tried to write them.
"Rumpelstiltskin," began the man at the door.
"Something I can help you with?" asked Rumpelstiltskin trying to figure out who this stranger was.
"Yes," began the man. "I need your help rescuing the person, I swore on magic to protect until the time came for her to fulfil her destiny."
"And why should I help?" asked Rumpelstiltskin as he glanced over at his work while thinking how he didn't have time to be rescuing other people when he still hadn't located his own daughter, however it was the next words that made him turn his full attention on the man as his heart stopped beating.
"Because the one I'm sworn to protect is your daughter," began the man watching as he managed to get Rumpelstiltskin's full attention. "Rosalinda Cassidy Gold."
A/N: Well there is chapter five. So who is this horse/man and how was he able to find Rosalinda when not even Rumpelstiltskin couldn't locate her, and will they manage to rescue Rosalinda before Blue catches wind of what fully has happen and move her to a different location.